Does Boost Mobile Have Good Coverage? (What You Need to Know)

Over the past fifteen to twenty years, wireless carriers have come and gone through many different stages and as the demand for up-to-date cell phone technologies is through the roof. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, “97% of Americans – now own a cell phone of some kind,” which means that more and more people are looking for a carrier that can keep up with their phone usage. 

With major wireless companies’ phone plans costing a good chunk of change, potential customers are looking for a wireless plan that won’t break the bank, is able to handle their everyday phone activities, and provide them with the coverage they need- that’s a pretty good checklist to have. And as MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) have grown more popular, you have wireless providers like Boost Mobile advertising themselves as a premium option opposed to going with one of the “big three” aka Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. 

Many who sign up for a MVNO are looking for solid coverage at prices you won’t bat an eye at and today we’re here to discuss the question: does Boost Mobile have good coverage? We want to give you all the details so you know what to expect before you decide on switching over, so let’s take a dive into Boost!

• Quick Overview: Boost Mobile’s Coverage Map
• What carrier does Boost Mobile use to provide coverage?
• 5G Coverage vs LTE Coverage
• Boost Mobile’s Phone Plans
• Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Overview: Boost Mobile’s Coverage Map

Coverage Maps are a staple for any wireless carrier, on their website they will normally have a “coverage map” tab showing off where their service extends to and what “type” of service, i.e: 5G and 4G LTE, it is. And Boost Mobile is no different, they have a coverage map you can zoom in and out of and type in your address and/or city that’s near you so you can see if your area is covered and the type of service it is. Let’s give you a glimpse into what these maps look like by taking a picture of their LTE, 5G, and 5G+LTE coverage spots:

Boost Mobile already has a big advantage going for it as they cover areas in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands; a lot of other MVNOs won’t have those regions covered. For those living there or are frequent travelers you’ll be more than happy to get service when you might not have from another provider. 

Now obviously it’s good to note, and their website even has a small text disclaimer saying this too, these aren’t 100% accurate, they show an approximation of the coverage you can expect- so keep that in mind when you’re searching closer to your home. 

What carrier does Boost Mobile use to provide coverage?

We’ve sprinkled in a few times now that Boost Mobile is a MVNO, which means that they don’t own their own cell towers, they will instead use other wireless provider’s towers to give their customers service. A MVNO will essentially “buy-in-bulk” and piggyback signal from the parent company to sell back to people at lower rates so those who can’t afford going directly to the source, aka Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, can instead go to a MVNO like Boost Mobile. 

Now normally a MVNO will only have one provider’s service, but Boost Mobile is a special case. Boost Mobile was acquired by Dish Wireless, which is a subsidiary of Dish Network, the famous TV provider, in 2020 when the Sprint and T-Mobile was in the works. And because of that, they use Dish Wireless, AT&T, and T-Mobile’s coverage to provide their customers with service.

Yup, you’ve read that right, you get access to Dish Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile’s superior LTE and 5G coverage when you sign up for a Boost Mobile plan, but with most things there are stipulations:

• It’s still a relatively new program so only customers who are eligible can access all three networks- or “network switch” as it’s called. Most SIM cards and/or phones you get through Boost will go through only one of these network’s signals. You must have a rainbow SIM which is a SIM card that functions the same as every other SIM card but it allows the device to switch, bounce, and connect to those three networks. The rainbow SIM is a bit elusive, contacting customer support is a good first step to getting one.

If you’re new to the MVNO game, then you should know a couple words: data deprioritization and data throttling. Data deprioritization is “the temporary slowing of data speeds for certain customers in order to give priority to other customers,” – which in the case of a MVNO means that in times of network congestion and network errors, Boost Mobile users may experience deprioritization in order to prioritize direct subscribers of AT&T and T-Mobile. This is the one downside to MVNOs- if you’re a heavy data user who's always on the go you may have periods of slower speeds compared to higher priority customers. 

As for data throttling, that is “the dramatic slowing of your data speeds to the point that it becomes almost unusable,” this will happen when you go over your data threshold for the month. For example, if you are paying for a 25GB a month plan and use over those thirty gigabytes you won’t get charged more, instead your data speeds will get throttled until the start of your next billing cycle, but don’t worry it will go back to normal when your cycle renews.

There are a few hoops you’ve got to jump through, but if you do then you’ll get access to not just one, but three widespread networks’ coverage. 

5G Coverage & LTE Coverage

Since 2019 and early 2020, 5G has become a part of our lives, the latest generation in the long line of phone connection and data speeds, and nowadays those with 5G capable phones are searching for the best 5G coverage so they can utilize both their device and the signal(s) to their fullest extent. And with Boost Mobile you can expect some varied coverage with 5G and even their LTE as they are bouncing between three network providers. If you are a part of the rainbow SIM club then you’ll have pretty good consistent connection speeds as when you move out of one cell tower’s range from one company, you will then pick up another’s signal once you move into their zone(s). 

For 5G fans, T-Mobile’s 5G coverage is the best-in-market, according to their website: “...98% of Americans have 5G coverage from T‑Mobile today.” And both T-Mobile and AT&T fans can expect their 4G LTE coverage to be dependable. Though AT&T isn’t quite near T-Mobile’s 5G, they can still keep up in the race. 

Dish Wireless numbers are a bit more inscrutable. As of writing this, there have been a few ups and downs for the company, but that’s not to say that they don’t provide coverage, in fact they only provide 5G coverage. They don’t advertise their own coverage map, there are only outdated and estimated maps out there like this one by Coverage Map. It seems like, from an outside standpoint, that Boost Mobile customers can look forward to most of their coverage coming from AT&T and T-Mobile with some helpful boosts from Dish.

Boost Mobile’s Phone Plans & Data Information

Unlike their wireless sister, Boost Infinite, Boost Mobile offers prepaid mobile plans, with prepaid you pay everything upfront before your service use and you get exactly what you pay for- meaning there’s no contracts, no overage fees, and no hard commitments. Cancel at any time and don’t worry about being locked in. 

Boost Mobile has 3 month and 12 month annual plans along with a monthly prepaid plan. They also have plans specific for “New Customers Only” which is very enticing for those looking for a nice deal. Since you are here to find out if Boost Mobile has good coverage, it’s safe to assume that you are potential new customer, so let’s go over their “New Customers Only” plans first:

¹There are two 5GB “New Customer Only” Plans available on the website, one is a Monthly Plan and the other is the 3 Month Plan which is where the $45 total comes from.

And here are the plans available to everyone, new and existing customers:

For the “Monthly” plans like the 3 Month or 12 Month Boost Mobile plans then you will have to pay your three or twelve month cost upfront. For example, if you go for the “Unlimited $30/mo 3 Month Plan” then when you go to check out you will pay $90 upfront. With “Monthly” plans you will only pay that month's total upfront. That is the “pay as you go” method and for a lot of people it works out great because you are going to get what you pay for which is nice.

Now that we’ve laid the plans out, let’s talk about their data allotment. According to the Boost Mobile website, their data terms include: “Customers who use more than 30GB of data during a billing cycle on a line will have speeds reduced. Data Speed: 5G service requires a 5G capable device. 5G not available in all areas.” That means all users can expect 30 gigabytes of “high-speed” service and then throttled speeds after that, though remember that’s not including data deprioritization which can happen even if you’re not over your monthly threshold. 

Boost Mobile does advertise a number for their throttled speeds on their Learn About Network Management page: “When you deplete your plan’s applicable 5G/4G data allotment, we will reduce the throughput data to 512 kbps for the remainder of your plan’s billing cycle.” You may be able to scroll a bit and load an occasional email- but 512 kbps is pretty dang slow so be aware of going over your data allotment for the month. 

Frequently Asked Questions - Wrap Up!

Let’s summarize what info we learned in a three FAQ wrap up.

Can you BYOP “Bring Your Own Phone” to sign up for a Boost Mobile plan?

Yes! You can absolutely keep your phone and bring it to Boost Mobile, but you have to check your phone’s compatibility first. That’s because only select phones work with Boost Mobile’s service and they want to make sure you have an eligible device before signing up and paying for a service you can’t use. 

To see your phone’s compatibility click here and go through their easy step-by-step process to see if your phone is good to go with their service.

Can I get more data with my Boost Mobile Plan?

With one of Boost Mobile’s “Data Packs Add-Ons” you will be able to add a bit more data onto your recurring plan so you can safely search with your usual speeds when you’re expecting a more “heavy-data” month ahead. 

They have “One Time Data Packs” which expire 30 days after purchase or when it’s all used up:

• 2GB of 5G/4G LTE Data – $5
• 10GB of 5G/4G LTE Data – $10

And then they have “Recurring Data Packs” which will remain active unless you cancel and are the exact same as the “One Time Data Packs”:

• 2GB of 5G/4G LTE Data – $5
• 10GB of 5G/4G LTE Data – $10

How can I get in contact with Boost Mobile support?

Get in contact with the Boost Mobile support team by either calling their hotline:

833‑64‑BOOST (833‑642‑6678)

Or by visiting their website and talking to their automated chat system which is a feature found at the bottom of the main page normally in the right-hand corner.

With multiple network’s signals to look forward to, Boost Mobile makes for an intriguing option and if you want to compare and contrast Boost Mobile to over 1,200 other phone plans so you know you’re getting the service that’s right for you, then make sure to check out the REALLY compare page which allows you to look at pricing, coverage, what phone plans are available, current deals and steals, and how you can make the most of your potential phone bill.